Test-taking Tips

Tim Gaddis and Allin Tallmadge ACS CCPs

Ready for the big dance next week??? When Wednesday morning rolls around, here are some tips to remember to assist you as you sit down and start the exam:

Take a deep breath and don’t panic. The first few minutes of the exam were a little overwhelming for me. Stop and remember all the time you put into preparation for the exam. You know the material; focus on the positive.

Read each question carefully and fully. Make sure you understand the question. Careless reading or rushing can be the difference between a correct answer and the wrong answer based on incorrect interpretation.

Do not rush! You have three hours which is plenty of time for the number of questions.

First answer every question that you know (think: the “easy” ones). You can skip the ones that stump you and return to them after working your way through the entire exam.

Don’t second-guess your answers. Your first gut-response, answer-wise, is usually the right one.

Look for clues in the question that will assist you. For example, if you are asked to pair a wine with a French brie and champagne is a choice, then that’s your clue “What grows together, goes together.” If you are building a “local” cheese tray and you are a chef in an NYC restaurant, then pineapple from Maui is not “local”.

Some questions may have more than one answer that “might” be correct. Look for the answer that is closest to completely correct. (This may be tricky.)

Eliminate the incorrect choices immediately and then analyze the remaining choices.

Some questions will help you answer other questions. They won’t be the same but they will contain related content that will help you find the answer.

Look for qualifiers such as “often”, “rarely”, generally”. Answers with qualifiers indicate items will better fit the answer you need.Interviews with All Cheese Professionals:CheesemakersandCheese ProfessionalsInterviews will continue throughout 2015… sometimes, they will be “stand-alone” and sometimes they will be presented as round-table discussions with several Cheese Professionals answering the same question. Those participating includeCheesemakers, ACS CCPs™,Cheesemongers and Cheese Professionals and Experts who contribute to this Wonderful World we call “Cheese”.List of all Interviews from 2013: Cheesemakers, Cheesemongers.